Page 23 - BEQ Magazine Iss 19

L-R: Phyllis McMullen – Executive Assistant
Didi Anekwe – Manager, Supplier Diversity
Wendy Hart – Director, Supplier Risk & Controls
Joan Stormont – Senior Director, Procurement
Chuck White – Vice President, Procurement
Kimberly Proffitt – Associate Vice President,
Procurement Shared Services
Kimberly Brown – Relationship Manager
Steve Kaufman – Relationship Manager
Mary Kirstein – Relationship Manager

that I don’t have the nerve to do.” It was a natural fit for White who
Instead, he joined the Navy, some- grew up and began adulthood prioritiz-
thing that could be argued takes its own ing customer service, accountability, and
level of nerve. White became a Naval responsibility. “I soon realized how im-
Aviator and through that, he learned a portant the role was, how much strategy
great deal about leadership, teamwork, is really required, and how much fun and
and camaraderie. how close to the business you get, work-
“When the air- ing across the entire en-
planes are taxiing all terprise,” he said.
around the deck, and From 2017-2019, Since then, he has
you’re having fun, it’s Nationwide spent worked for Microsoft,
really the guys on the more than $1.74 Deutsche Bank, Fidel-
deck that are doing ity Investments and
all the work and are billion with diverse- Charles Schwab, man-
in danger’s way, ev- owned companies. aging billions in spend
ery minute. So, you and learning each busi-
quickly develop a That translates to an ness from end to end.
fundamental respect economic impact of At Nationwide, he man-
Economic 2 20 01 19 9 home surrounded by strong women for a bunch of young more than 10,000 ages $1.7 billion in ad-
Impact Report people,” he said.
entrepreneurs. After his father retired dressable spend.
from the Navy when White was 10, the White was sta- jobs supported, $1.4 “I’ve had the chance
family settled in Portland, Oregon, where tioned in the United billion contributed to work on projects to
States and the Philip- build or buy everything
he started fifth grade and met his future
pines before leaving towards GDP, $553 from keyboards to jets.”
wife. His maternal Spanish grandmother,
the Navy and moving
moved in with his family and his Father million in wages and
back to Oregon. It CASTING
opened a hardware store with his almost $488 million
was while looking for A WIDE
paternal grandmother and great aunt.
an airline job that he in tax revenue for
White’s mother owned a beauty salon, SOURCING
“stumbled” into pro-
in a building she built for the purpose. local, state and NET
curement at HP.
At age 83, she still runs the business “It was 1996 and national entities. White’s first rule
by leasing rooms to Aestheticians. He there were a lot of for sourcing is “Cast
admired their entrepreneurial spirit unemployed pilots, Your Net Wide: the
and the way they took on risks. That, he said. “I needed more options you can
however, was not the life for him. something to fill my days and I lived find, the better value you can get.” Of
“I have a profound respect for those close to a large HP campus that de- course, to find these options, one needs
brave enough to start their own busi- signed and manufactured inkjet car- strategic and sustainable initiatives to
ness,” he said. “They’re doing something tridges.” fuel intentional inclusion of LGBTEs,
SUMMER 2021 23
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